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MEDITATIONS 

IN 
VERSE 



MEDITATIONS 

IN 
VERSE 



JESSIE ELDRIDGE SOUTHWICK 

u 



BOSTON : MASSACHUSETTS 
MCMXIII 






Copyrighted, 1913, by 
Jessie Eldridge Southwick 



THE EVERETT PRESS : BOSTON 

DEC 30 1913 
€;ci.An580bO 



CONTENTS 

I To Christ 4 

II Peace 5 

III Philosophy 6 

IV Faith 7 

V The Way to Life 8 

VI Aspiration 9 

VII Liberty 10 

VIII Will 11, 12 

IX Truth and Love 13 

X Superman 14 

XI Truth iS> 16 

XII Love Universal 17 



[3] 



TO CHRIST 

O CHRIST! Thou Heaven-Born Mystery, 
whose life 
Was ever sweet with that great love divine 
Which gave to other souls that still were sick 
With sin, and doubt, and greed, and wan 

despair, 
A ray of light from the Great Source of all — 
Whose Mighty Purpose they misunderstood, 
Because they knew not how free-will in man 
Could still be rounded by the Will of God, 
Whose sweep of universal tendency 
Forever makes for good of all, while yet 
Permitting individual strength and want 
Its full indulgence, till it learn at last 
That heaven is love; and hell, love's loss! 
Those who, like Thee, forgive are saviors of the 
world ! 

[4] 



II 

PEACE 

O PEACE! thou dove divine, whose olive- 
branch 
Does ever seem to lure us on our way. 
Hopeful that some great day, 
Or near or far, in future destiny 
We may attain thy purity and grace 
And, worthy to meet God face to face. 
We may be called His children for the good 
We do to others, banish fear. 
And hate, and falsehood, so that then 
No drums may beat, nor bugle call to arms 
Because the nations fiercely rush to war. 
Destroying millions who perhaps have never 

known the cause. 
Save to defend their country's honor from 

defeat. 
O Peace, teach us to live by thy blest spirit's 

light. 

is] 



Ill 

PHILOSOPHY 

PHILOSOPHY! thou sweet, consoling 
guide, 
Whose soft, harmonious thoughts now weave 

the spell 
Of Peace within my soul, I see 
That through the vast, perplexing web of life 
Or bright, or dark, there still persists 
A thread of light, which is forevermore 
The aspiration of the soul toward good. 
And, surely, this continuous strain of gold 
Whose gleam distinguishes the truth from lies 
Will win our hearts at last to mutual aid. 
And educate our willing hands to shape 
Each flower in the growing wreath of life 
To just conformity with all the plan 
That makes for human happiness and love! 



[6] 



IV 
FAITH 

FAITH IS not credulous belief of aught 
That may be taught by ignorance, nor 

vain 
Delusion, born of fancied need and naught 
But broken aspiration, or desire, or pain. 
Faith is the soul's eternal light of truth, 
By which we see the meaning of God's Plan. 
For 't is of reason a concentrate sum, 
Catching the fore-gleams of the Truth that 

shines 
In realms of thought which logic finds at last 
By slow degrees; but ever, — as the sun 
Glints in the atom, — so faith feels 
Within itself the portrait of that Truth 
Which comes all throbbing from the Heart of 

God — 
And to the obedient spirit gives its Light! 

[7] 



THE WAY TO LIFE 

THE way to Life seems hard, till we per- 
ceive 
That all the ills we dread are but our spur, 
To make of all the forces we now fear 
Means to arouse the soul to mighty work; 
The godlike power to do, and dare, and will! 
For — ever was it so — we sleep, and dream 
Of noble things, until some shock, or strain 
Of tempest in the soul's great sphere. 
Or pain which calls the deeps to rise and still 
The cry that ever from our childish lips 
Would spring, calls us with clarion note and 

shouts, 
"On to the goal! The quickened sense of being, 
The keen perception of the world's great 

need, — 
This is the waking of the Life Immortal!" 

[8] 



VI 
ASPIRATION 

OH, \ is the Voice of God, this aspiration! 
The needle pointing to the pole of 
truth! 
The magnetism of its trembling life 
Thrills with the meaning of unnumbered lives 
Ever more clearly, as the soul ascends. 
Sensing the destiny divine of man! 
"O but to know the End from the Beginning?'* 
Nay; that would be to make the ray the sun! 
Still be content to know the path of light 
Leads to the radiant Center whence it springs; 
And comes to us as sunlight steals to seed, 
Luring them up to meet the bright above. 
So to fulfil their true design, and come 
To minister in beauty to the world! 



[9] 



VII 
LIBERTY 

O FREEDOM! when we see thy sacred 
name 
Used to confirm the unbridled, selfish whim 
That makes for ill through its destroying power 
Of passion, or of greed, and vain desire 
For that which is of evanescent life, 
Then do we know that false pretense does gild 
Low, hurtful license with thy name divine! 
Far up the heights of human love and truth 
Soundeth the note of Libert}^ sublime ! 
Clear from those realms of light cometh the 

call,— 
'*Ye who aspire to Freedom must attain 
Triumph o'er self; and, climbing Duty's rocks, 
Come to the sphere where all abide in Law: 
That Law which binds the Whole to serve each 

one!" 



lO] 



VIII 
WILL 

*T WILL!" the spirit saith; and lo! the life 
X Is lifted from the sordid power of things. 
Both Love and Truth fly swiftly to its aid. 
Then comes the moment of unthinking act, 
Or word that seems the bitterness of fate, 
Till all the spirit sought to be seems vain. 
Now watch! The foe that lurking to surprise 
Has caused the pain of baffled purpose 
Flings a sneer, and says to the discouraged one, 
"'So! Wherefore strive .f^ You see, endeavors 

naught avail!" 
Now rise and conquer! you who once have 

failed. 
Yea, tho' the failure seem a twice-told tale! 
Only the giving up is failure! 
See! Out of failures comes the slow-built 

strength 
Of many eff^orts — till the goal be won 

[II] 



E'en death 's of no account! 

For, if the soul yields not, tho' beaten down 

'T will rise triumphant in eternal light, 

Freed from the pall that, ever round it swathed, 

Seemed to obscure the light. 

Faith! — Faith, my fellow traveller! 

Faith will win the light! 

Will is the godlike power of man; 

And faith, man's light from God! 



[12] 



IX 
TRUTH AND LOVE 

THERE is a way of truth 
By which we climb to God. 
His Will is Truth, 
And ours it is to find. 
Forever shall we rise 
By deeds of love 
To heaven — where God abides, 
For God is Love! 
Are truth and love but one? 
What 's love that is not true ? 
What truth is ever known 
That is not for the sake of love 
For God or Man? 
Then truth and love forever heal 

The wounds of sin and hate, 
So doth the human spirit feel 

That Love and Truth are great. 

[13] 



X 
SUPERMAN 

VISION of man divine, incarnate God, 
Thou to my soul appearest great 
As I behold the triumph on thy brow, 
Where sit serene self-conquest and pure joy. 
The power of certain purpose lights thine eye, 
The poise of wisdom, and perception clear. 
The gentleness of universal sympathy. 
And radiance of love that draweth near 
To God, Whom thou dost imitate 
In lawful action and harmonious thought; 
For thy free-will ajflirms itself in Him 
Who gave it to thee as thy supreme power 
To make or mar the beauty of the world! 



[141 



XI 
TRUTH 

THE way of Truth is fair, 
But hard to find. 
In its pure light must dwell 

The heart of one 
Who by this radiance seeks 

To educate 
The elements that make 

For good of all. 
The truth! How precious is 

That word to man! 
He finds not peace in any 

Other way; 
For only that brings Light 

And Liberty. 
The light of Truth is seen by one 

Who, pure of heart, 
Would ask no freedom for himself 

Save right; 

[IS] 



The right that makes for 

Universal good. 
Then Truth is faithfulness unto 

The right; 
The right is what the mind 

Of man conceives 
When it is held obedient to 

The Will Divine, 
Which tends to universal 

Harmony and Good. 



i6] 



XII 
LOVE UNIVERSAL 

10VE is the mystery of life and God; 
J His tender Love shines in the dewdrop, 
there ! 
It pulses in the harmonies of all the spheres; 
It breathes in perfume of the glorious rose. 
The tendency of all His Laws we know 
Is toward the happiness and strength of man, 
Who, tho' he suffer in opposing good, 
Knows that the laws of nature serve his soul. 
The hand of Supreme Love forever holds 
The stars in tune; it thrills in all the joy 
Of wholesome life; and e'en when broken law, 
Or want of brotherhood in man, or pain 
Of sacrifice which love doth make. 
Compels the soul to summon all its strength 
And rise to heights before undreamed; — 
E'en then we see that Love Divine provides 
Reward of greater life and purer joy, 
A recompense for pain. 

[17] 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

018 407 929 A 



